A clean bike is a happy bike

In anticipation of California’s winter rainy season, I’ve deferred cleaning and let grime build up on my bike’s moving parts. The result, unfortunately, is poor shifting, so I bit the bullet and washed dirt and filth from the chain, derailleurs and cogs. I also scrubbed roadkill remains stuck to my downtube. Yes, I had chunks of venison on the bottom of my bike.

There’s not a lot to cleaning and lubing your bike. Carlton explains the basics in this eight minute video.

Waxing Chains? If you’ve ever wondered how Ecovelo keeps his bikes so gorgeously photogenic, it’s because he waxes his chains. I gave up waxing chains about two decades ago, and Sheldon was meh on the practice as well. For the clean freaks, however, read the process here at EcoVelo. I like his crock pot idea; I used a coffee tin to dip my chain and store my dirty paraffin.

Note to Bay Area cyclists: Cold front and rain on the way for Friday! I discovered this after washing my bike on Tuesday.